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ABBA (album)

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This article is about the 1975 album. Not to be confused with ABBA: The Album, released in 1977.

ABBA
Studio album by
ABBA
Released21 April 1975
Recorded22 August 1974 – 16 March 1975
StudioGlen, Metronome and Ljudkopia Studios in Stockholm, Sweden
Genre
Length36:09
Label
Producer
ABBA chronology
Waterloo
(1974) 		ABBA
(1975) 		The Best of ABBA
(1975)
Singles from ABBA
  1. "So Long"
    Released: 18 November 1974
  2. "I've Been Waiting for You"
    Released: 18 November 1974
  3. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do"
    Released: April 1975
  4. "Bang-A-Boomerang"
    Released: 21 April 1975
  5. "SOS"
    Released: June 1975
  6. "Mamma Mia"
    Released: September 1975
  7. "Rock Me"
    Released: April 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[2]

ABBA is the third studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released on 21 April 1975 through Polar Music and featured the hits "SOS", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "Mamma Mia".[3]

Overview

[edit]

Following the Eurovision success of "Waterloo", ABBA saw the band gaining worldwide recognition. "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" topped the charts in Australia, as did "Mamma Mia" shortly after. "SOS" and "Mamma Mia" became hits in both the United States and the United Kingdom.[3] The album saw ABBA dabble with reggae on "Tropical Loveland" and includes a grand, pseudo-classical keyboard instrumental in the traditions of Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman with "Intermezzo No. 1" (early working title: "Mama").[4]

ABBA was first released on CD in Japan in 1986 by Polydor Records.[5] This release contains a slightly different mix of "Man in the Middle" not found on any subsequent CD pressing and thus is highly sought after by collectors.[6] ABBA was released on CD throughout Europe in 1987 also by Polydor, with five songs added from the Waterloo and Ring Ring albums, which were not available on CD until 1990. ABBA was released on CD in Sweden by Polar Music in 1988,[7] featuring the original 11 tracks only. The album has been reissued in digitally remastered form several times: in 1997 as part of "The ABBA Remasters" series with two bonus tracks,[8] in 2001 with updated cover artwork incorporating their ambigram, first used for their next album Arrival,[9] in 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set, and most recently in 2012 as a "Deluxe Edition".[10]

On the original UK cassette release of the album, "Bang-A-Boomerang" was split in two parts, being faded during the second verse at the end of side one and continued at the beginning of side two.[11][better source needed]

On November 19, 2012, ABBA was reissued as part of the Deluxe Edition series with a 2-disc package.[12][13][14] The first disc, a CD with special remastered audio, featured the original album with three bonus tracks.[12] The second one, a DVD, contained 60 minutes of previously unreleased TV performances, including: the complete 41-minute ABBA In Australia 1976 television special, in which the band performed twelve songs; performances of "Mamma Mia", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", and "So Long" from the SVT 1975 special Made In Sweden – For Export; a 1975 performance of "SOS" from the Seaside Special; a 1976 performance of "Mamma Mia" from Top of the Pops; two television commercials for The Best of ABBA and Greatest Hits; and the "International Sleeve Gallery".[12][13] A 24-page illustrated booklet with an essay on the making of the album was also included.[12]

Jude Rogers of the BBC said that, with this deluxe reissue of the album, "ABBA doubters will be pleasantly surprised to find the band's desire to experiment here" and that "long-term fans will enjoy the accompanying DVD, and be reminded of an interesting juncture in the quartet's career".[14]

Track listing

[edit]

The information has been adapted from the official ABBA website.[15] All tracks are written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mamma Mia" 3:32
2."Hey, Hey Helen"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
3:16
3."Tropical Loveland" 3:05
4."SOS" 3:22
5."Man in the Middle"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
3:00
6."Bang-A-Boomerang" 2:50
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" 3:15
2."Rock Me"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
3:03
3."Intermezzo No. 1" (featuring Benny Andersson; instrumental)
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
3:48
4."I've Been Waiting for You" 3:39
5."So Long"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
3:06
Total length:35:56
2012 deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Crazy World"
  • Andersson
  • Ulvaeus
3:46
2."Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton - On Top of Old Smokey - Midnight Special"Traditional; arranged by Andersson and Ulvaeus4:21
3."Mamma Mia" (Spanish version)
  • Andersson
  • Anderson
  • Ulvaeus
  • Buddy McCluskey
  • Mary McCluskey
3:34

Non-album tracks

[edit]
  • "Baby"

Recorded 18 October 1974 at Glen Studio. The lyrics for the song were later re-written and became "Rock Me". "Baby" was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music as part of the ABBA Undeleted section.

  • "Crazy World"

"Crazy World" was recorded on 16 October 1974 at Glen Studio during sessions for this album. The track was left unreleased until it surfaced again during the Arrival sessions, and was eventually released as the b-side to the "Money, Money, Money" single in November 1976. "Crazy World" was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music, and then appeared as a bonus track on the CD re-issue of the album ABBA.[16]

  • "Here Comes Ruby Jamie"

"Here Comes Ruby Jamie" was recorded on 16 September 1974 at Glen Studio, and is one of the rare occasions where Benny Andersson sings the lead vocals. The song was first released on CD on the box set "Thank You for the Music" as part of the ABBA Undeleted section.

Recording began on 6 May 1975 at Glen Studio. It remains ABBA's only studio recorded release of material not written by themselves, and was originally released on the 1975 German charity album "Stars Im Zeichen Eines Guten Sterns". In 1978, it featured (with a slight audio tweak, for many years mistakenly referred to as a 'remix') as the B-side of the "Summer Night City" single. The song was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music, then the 1978 version appeared as a bonus track on the CD re-issue of the album ABBA.[16]

  • "Rikky Rock 'N' Roller"

"Rikky Rock 'N' Roller" was recorded on 15 September 1974 at Glen Studio, and was first released on CD on the box set Thank You for the Music as part of the ABBA Undeleted section. Later released by Jerry Williams on the album Kick Down in 1976.

Personnel

[edit]

ABBA

Additional musicians

  • Roger Palm – drums, tambourine, timpani
  • Ola Brunkert – drums on "SOS", "Man in the Middle" and "So Long"
  • Rutger Gunnarsson – bass
  • Mike Watson – bass on "Mamma Mia", "Tropical Loveland", "SOS", "Man in the Middle", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "So Long"
  • Janne Schaffer – guitar on Mamma Mia, "Hey, Hey Helen", "SOS", "Man in the Middle", "Bang-A-Boomerang", "I've Been Waiting for You", and "So Long"
  • Finn Sjöberg – guitar on "Mamma Mia", "Rock Me", "Intermezzo No. 1" and "I've Been Waiting For You"
  • Lasse Wellander – guitar on "Tropical Loveland", "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", "Rock Me" and "Intermezzo No. 1"
  • Ulf Andersson – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Bruno Glenmark – trumpet
  • Björn J:son Lindh; Sven-Olof Walldoff – string arrangements
  • Björn J:son Lindh – horn arrangements

Production

  • Benny Andersson; Björn Ulvaeus – producers, arrangers
  • Michael B. Tretow – engineer
  • Ola Lager – photography
  • Sten-Åke Magnusson – original album design
  • Jon Astley; Tim Young; Michael B. Tretow – remastering for the 1997 Remasters
  • Jon Astley; Michael B. Tretow – remastering for the 2001 Remasters
  • Henrik Jonsson – remastering for The Complete Studio Recordings box set

Charts

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Sales and Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia — 570,000[37]
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[38] Gold 10,000‡
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[39] Gold 25,358[39]
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[40] Gold 10,000*
Japan — 220,000[41]
Norway — 120,000[42]
Sweden — 474,642[43]
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Gold 100,000^
Summaries
Europe — 4,000,000[45]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th Concise ed.). United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-84609-856-7.
  2. ^ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "ABBA". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 1. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  3. ^ a b Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1991). Guinness Book of Rock Stars. Enfield: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 1. ISBN 0-85112-971-4.
  4. ^ Scott, Robert (2002) ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song, Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p.67
  5. ^ ABBA – ABBA (1986, CD), August 1986, retrieved 4 May 2021
  6. ^ "Polydor P33P series (1986) « Abba on CD". Abbaoncd.wordpress.com. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  7. ^ ABBA – ABBA (1988, CD), 1988, retrieved 4 May 2021
  8. ^ ABBA – ABBA (1997, CD), 1997, retrieved 4 May 2021
  9. ^ ABBA – ABBA (2001, CD), retrieved 4 May 2021
  10. ^ ABBA – ABBA (2012, CD), 16 November 2012, retrieved 4 May 2021
  11. ^ Discogs – ABBA, Epic Records cassette version
  12. ^ a b c d "Deluxe Edition Of The ABBA Album Released In November!". ABBA. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  13. ^ a b Sinclair, Paul (28 November 2012). "ABBA Deluxe Edition – SuperDeluxeEdition". Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  14. ^ a b Rogers, Jude (2012). "BBC - Music - Review of ABBA - ABBA: Deluxe Edition". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Discography". ABBA. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b Scott, Robert (2002) 'ABBA: Thank You for the Music – The Stories Behind Every Song', Carlton Books Limited: Great Britain, p.69
  17. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  18. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4163b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – ABBA – ABBA" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  20. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "ABBA". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 8. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – ABBA – Mamma Mia" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  22. ^ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). ISBN 978-1094705002.
  23. ^ "Charts.nz – ABBA – ABBA". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – ABBA – ABBA". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  25. ^ a b c "Swedishcharts.com – ABBA – ABBA". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  27. ^ "ABBA Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 12/2024)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Музыкальный парад "Март-78"". Московский комсомолец (in Russian). No. 89. 15 April 1978. p. 4.
  30. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 427. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  31. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1975". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  32. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1975 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  33. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 428. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  34. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1976 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1977 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Звуковая дорожка – 78". Московский комсомолец (in Russian). No. 1. 1 January 1979. p. 4.
  37. ^ "ABBA – Success Story – RCA Australia 1976". Billboard. 22 January 1977.
  38. ^ "Danish album certifications – Abba – Abba". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  39. ^ a b "Abba" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  40. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1978". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  41. ^ "ABBA Cracks Japan Mart; Sales Surge". Billboard. 10 March 1979. p. 76.
  42. ^ Bakkemoen, Kurt (19 March 1980). "Biggest Norwegian Sellers" (PDF). Billboard. p. 113.
  43. ^ Schulman, Leif (8 September 1979). "Abba The World". Billboard.
  44. ^ "British album certifications – Abba – Abba". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  45. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1985). Million selling records from the 1900s to the 1980s : an illustrated directory. Arco Pub. p. 393. ISBN 0668064595. ABBA's album was a colossal success throughout Europe in 1975, selling four million before release in Britain
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